New Thursby Nursing Care Home

Updated 21 April 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection team

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an expert by experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

New Thursby nursing care home is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We completed our planning tool and reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affected the health, safety and welfare of people supported by the service. We looked at previous inspection reports. We also sought feedback from partner agencies and health and social care professionals. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who lived at New Thursby and three relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, cook and five nursing and care staff.

To gather information, we looked at a variety of records. This included medicines records and parts of three people’s care records. We also looked at other information related to the management of the service. We did this to ensure the management team had oversight of the service and they could respond to any concerns highlighted or lead in ongoing improvements. We walked around the building to check the home was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to live.

Updated 21 April 2020

About the service

New Thursby Nursing Care Home is registered to provide care for 42 older people or younger adults. It is a large detached home set on the main coast road between Blackpool and St Annes on Sea. The home is set over two floors, on which bedrooms and bathing facilities are situated. There are thirty-two single rooms and four shared rooms. Seventeen rooms are equipped with en-suite facilities. At the time of our inspection there were 30 people living at the home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt they were cared for safely by the staff team. They were able to be as safe and as independent as possible because staff risk assessed and helped them manage avoidable risks. The registered manager had a thorough recruitment system and there were enough staff to meet people’s care and support needs. Staff supported people with their medicines according to national guidelines. The home was clean, with good infection control.

Staff were familiar with people’s dietary and nutritional needs and provided people with a choice of food and drinks. Staff supported people to see healthcare professionals promptly so their health and wellbeing needs were met. People were helped to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff assessed people's capacity to make decisions. The home was comfortable and pleasantly decorated and suitable for people’s needs. Staff had been trained, were supported and had the skills, knowledge and experience to provide good care.

People told us they liked living at New Thursby and were treated with patience, care and respect. Staff were respectful and provided care that met people’s diverse needs and preferences. They encouraged people to make choices and decisions and to be involved in planning their care.

The provider had a complaints policy. People knew how to complain and said any concerns were dealt with promptly and to their satisfaction. Staff had assessed, were familiar with, and reported on people’s specific communication needs. People were involved in varied activities in the home and in the local community. The staff team supported people needing end of life care and had the skills and knowledge to do so.

People said staff involved them in decisions about the home such as meals, routines, leisure and social events. The registered manager monitored the service to check on the quality and to make sure staff were providing good care. They understood and acted on legal obligations, including conditions of CQC registration and those of other organisations. They worked in partnership with other services and organisations and were involved in research to develop and follow good practice, keep people safe and improve their well-being.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated good (published 16 September 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.